Taste Test
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: The first taste is always the best.  Hint of light Ducaine romance.


**Taste Test**

**(I had not intended re-post any further stories until after the new year, but this one is posted with a particular reader in mind. AIP this one is for you. It is light, funny, and has a happy…unless you are the brownies… ending. )**

**Lieutenant Blue Eyes**

Eric came out of the break room with a pained look on his face. Speed saw him and tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Eric, you look like you're hurtin', man. Are you okay?" His tone was mildly concerned.

"Oh man, Calleigh is in the kitchen area and she's baking brownies." The panic in Eric's voice made a grin spread slowly over Speed's normally laconic features.

"What? You don't think she can handle a wooden spoon as well as a 9mm?" Speed chuckled.

"I tell you, it's scary, man," Eric said as he quickly disappeared from the door headed safely away from Calleigh's foray into the culinary arts.

Still smiling, Speed opened the door to the break room and was immediately surrounded by the tantalizing smell of chocolate. His mouth watered and he sniffed appreciatively.

"What's up, Cal? What's the occasion? It's not every day we see you acting all domestic," Speed drawled as he walked up behind Calleigh to peer over her shoulder.

The counter by the micro-range and oven was covered with small traces of brownie ingredients: a splash of milk, a dribble of egg, and cocoa and sugar scattered in abstract patterns. Calleigh was busy spooning the thick gooey brownie batter into the already greased glass baking dish next her.

"No special reason, Speed. I just felt like baking some of mom's homemade chocolate caramel brownies. After they come out of the oven, I drizzle them with caramel sauce. I swear, Speed, your tongue will slap your brain out trying to get more." She looked up at him with a sassy grin.

As she did, her concentration slipped just enough that she lost her grip on the edge of the bowl. She felt it slipping from her grasp and with an amazing one-handed maneuver, she managed to regain control of the bowl, but not before it had thumped heavily onto the counter top sending the remaining brownie batter splattering everywhere. For a second there was silence, then Speed threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh, Cal," he sputtered when he could finally speak again. "You are covered with chocolate. Here let me get you a towel." His eyes were dancing with laughter as he reached up into the cabinet and retrieved a green and orange, MDPD monogrammed kitchen towel.

"Thanks, Tim," she sighed as she began to dab vigorously at the spots on the front of her blouse. "Will you put those in the oven for me, please?" she mumbled as she scrubbed at a particularly large chocolate stain just under her ribcage.

"Sure, Cal…" Speed grabbed the baking dish and carefully set it inside the oven and closed the door.

"You know," he said as he eyed the mess, "maybe Eric is right. Maybe you need to stick to the gun lab."

"Oh, get out of here," she said, popping his arm with the towel he had just handed her.

Speed backed away from her, a look of mock horror on his face. "Don't shoot, don't shoot!"

"Speed, I swear, I will if you don't…" Calleigh started toward him with a grin on her face, the wooden spoon waving threateningly.

"I'm going, I'm going…" Speed laughed as he backed toward the break room door. Just as he started to push against it, he felt it open behind him and only barely caught himself before he fell flat on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Speed," came Horatio's gravelly voice from behind him. "Didn't mean to almost make you fall. Where are you headed in such a hurry?"

"Calleigh's in a baking mood. Better be careful, H. She's lethal with a wooden spoon." Speed was still smiling to himself as he left.

Horatio ambled over to the counter where Calleigh stood, still trying to remove the splatters of chocolate from her shirt.

"Smells good," he commented. "Special recipe?" He reached for a paper towel and began to wipe the small mess from the counter top. Several swipes later the counter was once again pristine and Horatio took it upon himself to place the mixing bowl and other utensils in the small sink and run hot water over them.

"What? Oh, yeah…Momma's special home made brownies…chocolate caramel…" she said, attacking a rather stubborn spot with renewed vigor. The dark splotch grew lighter as Calleigh continued to work at it, almost totally ignoring Horatio who stood watching her with twinkling blue eyes.

"Um, Calleigh…" he said. "Calleigh?"

"Yes, Horatio?" She stopped her scrubbing to look up at him.

He stepped closer to her and Calleigh suddenly forgot that brownies even existed in the universe. The only thing on her mind at the moment was the color blue…the deep, clear blue of his eyes.

"Calleigh…," he purred as he gently lifted her chin up, "…you missed a spot."

Calleigh barely had time to register the words before his lips closed over hers. He kissed her lightly at first, then the tip of his tongue teased over her bottom lip, and licked away the spot of chocolate.

Drawing back, he looked down into her now dazed eyes and smiled.

"Mmm. The brownies will definitely be good, but you don't have to worry about saving me any, cause I've already had the first taste test."

The fragrance of chocolate followed Horatio out into the hall as he turned and left a stunned Calleigh standing in his wake.

No one ever figured out just exactly how Calleigh managed to burn those brownies.


End file.
